Lahat ng Kabanata ng Masquerade: His Forbidden Obsession: Kabanata 91 - Kabanata 100

Ginevra Tommaso steps into the bedroom as I’m reading a book, leaning on the headboard of the bed. He smiles at me as he steps closer to give me a short kiss on my cheek. “Is this a thriller?” I giggle shortly as I turn the cover for him to read, and he tilts his head to do so. “Yes, it’s quite enthralling.” “I didn’t think you were a thriller kind of girl.” I just smile at him while he disappears into the walk-in closet to change. He was kind of right, actually. I was never into thrillers or scary movies. But I can’t just read all my romance novels that I loved before this all happened to me. I tried, but every line I read was just too painful for me. This entire situation, feeling so absurdly normal, makes me feel like I thought I would in the beginning, as I accepted to be married to a stranger by my parent’s choice. If it wasn’t for the pressure I felt in my chest, I would actually not have been bothered by it. As Tommaso steps out of the wardrobe with a smile, I get a st

Ginevra The moment I show up in front of the high glass doors, I think about turning around and walking away. Just as I’m about to do so, convinced of this being an absurdly stupid move, Elisabetta has already spotted me and is taking long strides to reach the doors. She opens them with a big smile while I stand there like a gray mouse. “Ginny, hi. What a surprise!” “Hey, Ellie. Well, I was at your school, and they told me your atelier was here and… I’m sorry, maybe I should go.” I point my thumbs to the entrance behind me and am about to turn around as Elisabetta stops me, inviting me into her atelier. “Oh, don’t be silly. Just come on in.” I hug myself as I walk into the open space with the industrial flair and the large double-hung windows. The noise of the buzzing street outside echoes through the vast space, mixing harmonically with the clacking of our heels on the cemented pavement. “Can I offer you something to drink?” “A glass of water would be nice.” She smiles widely

Elisabetta I’m concentrating on a drawn line that just doesn’t want to get like I imagined it as Amber smacks a kiss on my cheek. “We are heading out. Are you sure you wanna stay, girl?” Without even looking up, I wave at her. “Yeah, yeah. I want to finish that first. My driver will pick me up in a few minutes anyway.” Amber and Jennifer make a lot of noise, telling me goodbye while leaving our atelier and I shake my head with a smile. I just get to concentrate on my stupid line for what feels like a second as I’m interrupted again. “Day 32 of convincing my sister to talk to me again.” I look up to my brother shortly before lowering my head back to my design. “Argh, what are you doing here?” “I’m picking you up.” I roll my eyes, erasing the line with a deep sigh. Ruggerio steps behind me, looking over my shoulder, and I can sense his smirk without even looking at him. I should be happy to see it as it happens very rarely lately. Actually, only if he is alone with me. “Need s

Ginevra “I- I can’t breathe.” “I’m sorry, my dear. Try to breathe more superficially, rather than taking deep breaths.” Anna Rita’s remark nearly seems like a motherly advice if it wasn’t that she was still tugging at my corset like a lunatic. “Hmmm…” Tommaso is leaning against the wall of our room watching his mother struggle to make my body morph into something it is definitely not. “If you would just eat after the nutrition plan, I composed, as you said you would, we wouldn’t be here, would we?” I feel Anna Rita pull once more and lay my hand on my stomach, closing my eyes. Unfortunately, my plan didn’t quite work out. Tommaso had a high at my conducting like a happy wife who is in love for about two days before he fell into his usual pattern of the abusive creep. Hence, my experience of being tied up in this suffocating piece of clothing is more painful than it should probably be. Also, I really don’t know how much good this compression will do to my partially fractured ribs.

Ginevra From the moment Tommaso left for his business trip, I was finally able to breathe. Literally. As he doesn’t get to badger me anymore, my bruises start to fade, my ribs heal and breathing gets easier. I’m actually astonished by the fact that as soon as Tommaso is gone, my mother-in-law starts baking cakes for me and impresses me with meals with opulent and creamy gravy that make my heart sing. She tries to sell me this behavior as a cake tasting or a taste of what they should do at the wedding, but as she isn’t some poor trailer mom and the wedding won’t be held in her garden, it doesn’t make quiet sense. Also, because we will have a large staff for those things. But it’s nice to have something nice to eat anyway. The lock of the door opening that tears me out of my train of thoughts has my heartbeat skyrocket and I reposition in my chair, straightening my spine. Ruggerio takes one last step, stopping in the middle of the room and puts his hands into his pockets. Biting